Siphon apparatus



' Oct. 20, 1925.

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UNITED STATES KENNETH CLAUDE `:DIElVER/EYIIX HICKMAN, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

SIPHO'N APPARATUS.

Application filed March 19, 1921. Serial No. 453,848.

llo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH CLAUDE Dnvnunux HICKMAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at London, S. lV. l, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements VRelating' to Siphon Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Siphon apparatus, more particularly for use in connection with the circulation of liquids.

The main object of the present invention is to provide constructions of Siphon apparatus which are both automatic in action and involve neither the necessity for piercing the wall of the receptacle nor the. diveu' sion from the receptacle of any material proportion of the supplied liquid, and the func` tioning of which is independent of variation or interruption of rate of liquid supply or substantially so. l

The invention consists in Siphon a pparatus in connection with a receptacle adapted for the reception and emission of liquid wherein the act of sealing the vacuum space of the Siphon is effected by the liquid in the receptacle as it rises and submerges an air opening situated at or near the lower end of the short Siphon limb.

Referring to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings z- Figure 1 represents a Sectional view of a convenient construction of automatic Siphon which is particularly applicable in connection with the washing of photographic negatives or the like.

Figure 2 is a part elevation and part section of a modified form of construction of automatic siphon, which is capable of dealing effectively with 'comparatively large quantities of liquid In carrying the invention into effect in one form illustrated by way of example in Figure l as applied to water circulating apparatus wherein a substantially constant level of liquid is required for washing photographic negatives or the like, I forni ya siphon of two vertical tubes, a, b of unequal length, uniting them at their upper ends by a short cross tube 0. The tube a preferably extends slightly above the `junction of the short cross tube c, is closed at its upper end, and open at its lower end CZ. The tube is open at its lower end e and is connected with the short cross tube at its upper end. A water supply pipe f is provided and so the suppll7 arranged in relation tothe Siphon that water is delivered from the fori'nerinto the circulating receptacle, preferably through a jet g in the region of the Siphon tube Connected with the. closed extension of the Siphon tube a is a fall tube h, which -is car- A ried down the loutside of the longer Siphon tube, and terminates just below the level o-f the rim of a cup or basin c' secured to the Y This fall tube is furnished end thereof. with a circular bend j, and above this bend a .connection is made to a point in the sup ply pipe by a tube 7c which is constricted at Z so as to permit only a small flow through it in comparison with that through `the main supply tube In operation, assuming it is desired to wash, say a number of photographic plates, the Siphon is placed with the Siphon tube standing in a VShallow dish (not shown), containing the plates, and pipe j is connected up to 'the water supply tap. The longer liinba of the siphon which carries the discharge basin c' will hang down below the dish, and can conveniently be disposed in a sink, if the dish be placed near the edge thereof. i Upon turning on the-supply tap, water flows through the supply pipe f, the bulk of it discharging into the dish through the supply jet g. A certain amount, however, flows through the constricted connecting tube Il:

and drips through the circular bend in the fall tube `it until the latter is `substantially filled with water. water in the circular bend will now flow down the fall tube, displacing the air therefrom, and discharging into the discharge basin z'. The circular bend will continue to be filled, the column subsequently flowing down the fall tube until the discharge basin is filled, and sealing off of the lower openings both 0f the fall tube /L and of the Siphon tube a.

This action will now continue with the exception that as the columns of air tiow down the fall tube, the air to replace that which is displaced therefrom can' now only enter by the opening e on the Siphon tube Z). Thus, as soon as the level of water in the dish rises above the highest part of the opening c, this entry of air is entirely cut off, and a partial vacuum is produced in the upper part of the Siphon tubes a, and o. As a result water is raised in 'both the siphon tubes a and Z, and as soon as t is full the Siphon operates in a manner weli The column `of lflO .hier

understood Immediately the level of water in the dish falls below that of the highest part of the opening e this Siphon action will cease, owing to the ent-ry of air at this point. It Will' thus be appreciated that a continuous tendency lor the siphon to operate is effected by the production automatically of a partial vacuum in the upper part of the Siphon tubes a, b and c, with the result that a constant level of Water in the dish obtains.

It will be understood that this constant level may be varied as desired; for example by providing` means whereby the level of the lower end of the shorter siphontube may be adjusted relatively to the base of the dish, this distance ldetermining the depth to which the Water will rise in the CliSh. Y.

It will be understood that the apparatus described above as applied in a particular Way is given by Way of example only, and may be modified.

For instance, the fall tube may be attached at its upper end to any part of the siphon tubes, or cross connecting pipe, and the siphon pipe may be fori-ned Yof a single bent tube which may, if desired, be flexible for action at a distance.

In carrying` the invention. into effect according to the modification, indicated in Figure 2, which is particularly applicable to the circulation of large quantities of liquid, I provide a short and a long'- vertical siphon tube,r Z) and a4 respectively, with a short horizontal connecting pipe c, furnishing the longer Siphon pipe a. with a liquid sealing discharge basin i as before. Through a short extension ofthe longerpipe I lead the liquid supply pipe mi, which is broken therein, and provided with a jet fn. and a Venturi tube o, whereby on discharge under pressure of liquid from the jet m air is drawn through the Venturi tube 0 from the Siphon pipes c, a and Z9.

An extension of the Vent-uri tube is carried round the shorter siphontube, and terminates in ajet g, supplying a circulating vessel (not shown).

I form the siphon tube b preferably with a closed loiver end, and furnish a num-ber of holes p in the ivalls of this tube to, form inl-et apertures for the liquid, and in addition provide an adjustable support Q Whereby the level of these holes may be raised or lowered relatively to the receptacle in which circulation is to take place.

In operation, liquid isv supplied through the jet g, and provided the inlet of' air to the siphon tube a` be prevented by the liquid sealing thereof, a partial vacuum is produced in the siphon, and the continuous tendency for the latter to operate is thereby produced. The disch-arge basin may conveniently be filled so as to effect liquid sealing of the longer siphon tube by temporarily closing the jet g, thus causing liquid to leak from the Venturi tube.

The siphon will thus operate similarly as described above, Whenever the level of liquid rises above the highest part of the apertures p.

Having non7 described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Siphon apparatus for rendering Constant the level of liquid in a receptacle irrespective of the rate of inflow theretm including a long limb, a short limb, an interconnecting portion, said limbs being adapted to straddle a Wall of the receptacle and constituting with said interconnecting portion a vacuum space, a source of reduced air pressure in permanent communication With said vacuum space, a permanent liquid seal for the lower end of said long limb and a vacuum space closurev orifice in said short limb which determines and is substantially the same as the vh eight of the said constant level.

2. Siphon apparatus for rendering constant the level of liquid'in a receptacle irrespective of the rate of' inflow thereto, including a long limb, a short limb, an interconnecting portion, said limbsbeing adapted to straddle a wall of the receptacleand constituting with saidk interconnecting portion a vacuum space, asource off reduced air pressure in permanent communication with said vacuum space, a permanent liquid seal for the lower endof said long limb and a vacuumspace rclosure orice in said short limb which determines and is substantially the sameasthe height of the said constant level, and means for adjusting theheight of the vacuum space closure orifice in order to adjust the height of the constant level with in the vessel'.

8. Siphon apparatusfor rendering conl stant the level of liquid in areceptacle irrespective of the rateot inflow thereto, including a long limb, a short limb, an interconnecting portion, said limbs being adapted to straddle a iva-ll of the receptacle and constituting With said interconnecting port-ion a vacuum space, constantly actingl ejector pumping means disposed Within an extension of said long limb, a pump discharge pipe communicating with the outlet of said pumping means and adapted continuousl)Y to discharge into said receptacle, a permanent liquid seal for the lower end of said long arm and a vacuum space closure orifice in said Short limb. Which determines and is substantially the same asthe height of the said constant level.

In testimony whereof I have .signed my name to this specification. y

KENNETH CLAUDE DEVEREUX HICKMAN. 

